Prime Minister Phillips urges women to apply for GOAL scholarships

-at official Region Four launch

Prime Minister, Hon. Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips has challenged women to sign up for the Government’s 20,000 online scholarships to further their education through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL).  

The Prime Minister made this appeal on Wednesday, during an outreach at Diamond, East Bank Demerara at the official launch of the programme in Region Four.

PM Phillips says while he wants everyone to obtain a GOAL scholarship, he does not want women, especially mothers, to let the opportunity pass them by.

“You have to be part of the development of Guyana, very important, and we would want our women also to sign up in large numbers to benefit from what is being offered,” the Prime Minister said.

PM Phillips also reminded the gathering that the only way to be assured of a chance at a scholarship is to apply.

“We are offering you scholarships that cover tuition and the reading material, all you have to do is to sign up and start studying, very important.

And only by signing up and start studying, you will be part and parcel of the new Guyana that we are building for all Guyanese,” he said.

The Prime Minister said only an educated workforce will advance Guyana from a developing country to a progressive economy.

“We have to educate our population. We have to educate our people and this is the opportunity that we present to you, our people, and you must grab at it,” he said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Public Service, Hon. Sonia Parag and Minister of Natural Resources, Hon. Vickram Bharrat who attended the outreach, also urged the people to apply to benefit.

Both Ministers noted that the initiative was another demonstration of the Government fulfilling a promise made to the nation while campaigning in the lead-up to the 2020 elections.  The PPP/C’s “Plan for Prosperity 2020 – 2025” stated that every Guyanese must have a chance at a good education. The manifesto also said better education would be gained through the promotion of skills training by increasing technical and vocational training and apprenticeship schemes.

Minister Parag told the audience that the Government plans to award 4,500 of the 20,000 online scholarships this year.

“Ordinary Guyanese who otherwise would not have had this opportunity [would benefit],” she said.  

Minster Bharrat expressed similar sentiments. He noted that the GOAL initiative was not about luck, but is an opportunity open to every Guyanese.   

“I believe that the people who you consider to be lucky are the people who make use of the opportunity that are presented to them… So, I want us today to be the ones who will make use of the opportunity that our Government is presenting to you,” he said.

Through GOAL, Guyanese can choose from 108 programmes being offered by five international universities: the University of the West Indies Open Campus, the University of the Southern Caribbean, Indira Gandhi National Open University, University of Applied Sciences and the JAIN “deemed to be” University.

Persons who may not have the requisite qualifications can also benefit. They can first enrol in the six-month Bachelor’s Preparatory Programme and, on its successful completion, apply for a certificate, diploma, post-graduate diplomas, bachelor’s degree, PhD, technical and vocational or another programme of their choice.